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Anna and children Biography

Anya Perriard- Botvinnik was born in 1972 in Omsk, Western Siberia. Like all the other children of her generation in the Soviet Union, she grew up without ever hearing anything about God or the Bible, in spite of the fact that her father was Jewish (he was related to the three-time World Chess Champion, Mikhail Botvinnik) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Botvinnik )

Pioneer of the communist youth

Siberian beauty

Anya was brought up in the family of medical doctors (which, in the time of Soviet Union meant they were not at all wealthy). Her grandfather had participated in the battles of Stalingrad and Berlin during World War II, and met Stalin as he had been responsible for the organization of the Potsdam conference. Before retiring in the rank of colonel, he was in charge of the intercontinental nuclear missile base geared against the USA. On the left, is a picture of him and his American born grandson Yann, our first born, holding his American passport. Who could have ever thought that one day such an amazing reality would be possible?

Anya graduated with honors from a high school specialized in English language. She was a third-year university student in English /American literature and education, when, in 1991, a group of American Christians came in her city for a campaign to start a church. Although she was not at all a believer, she was hired as an interpreter for the individual Bible studies with the Russian people who wanted to know about God. After two weeks of translating Bible lessons every day, she eventually became convinced of the Gospel, accepted Jesus and requested to be baptized!

For the following three years, Anya was actively involved in the local church that the Americans had started, and in 1994, she “accidentally” met Yves in the airport of her own Siberian city. They had an intense conversation of 40 minutes, during which he took her phone number. Three days and 1400 miles later, he called her and flew back to her city. After only three months of courtship and three month of engagement period, they got married. Right after this, they moved to the Altay region, at the border of China and Russia, and for the following two years, they pastored two churches there. Eventually, they moved to start and lead another growing church for 6 years, which was located 900 miles south of Moscow.

As they were on their yearly missionary furloughs in the States, both their children were born in Columbus, Ohio. Yann Frank (1996) and Joel Christophe (2000).

After 8 years in Russia, Yves lost missionary support as a result of his “charismatic conversion”, and the Perriard family was forced to come back to Geneva, Switzerland, in order to support themselves financially. There, Anya worked for the following 5,5 years as an Executive Assistant and interpreter for a highly successful Telecommunication Company active in Eastern Europe. She really enjoyed her work and was very effective as such, partially due to her strong gifts of administration and organization. Additionally, she has an amazing memory, which serves very well her husband

In December 2008, after 6 years in Geneva, the Perriard family moved by faith to Vancouver, Canada, with Yves working as an evangelist. Right now, Anya is a stay-at-home mom, enjoying her new home, garden, her children and her church family and new friends.